A New Member
by Calibri-9
Summary: 1st:I do not own Grand Chase. 2nd:I don't know anything about Dio yet so he's not included in the fanfic. 3rd:I edited the story. This is the new version. Anyways, I hope that you will enjoy reading... Wait for the sequel... There will be one soon...


A New Member

(A Grand Chase Fanfic)

By angel_archer_11

One day in the Serdin castle, the Queen was in the throne room, bored. She sighed out of boredom and it so happened that her adviser was with her.

"Your Majesty is there a problem?" he said.

"Hmm… ah, nothing… It's just that, I've been thinking… should I add another member to the Chase?" she replied.

"Maybe it's about time that the Chase had a new member." The adviser said.

The Queen went with her idea. So she called for the squire.

"Squire! Notify all the people from Serdin and Kanavan that I will be recruiting a new member for the Chase!" the Queen commanded.

"Yes, your Majesty." The squire replied.

With that, the squire went on to do his task, with helpers of course. He made an announcement at the town square of each kingdom, posted notifications on the walls, and the like. A few days later, the squire was back at the Serdin Castle.

"Hmm… it seems that the squire has finished his task." the adviser said, looking out of the throne room's window.

"So it would seem. Now, let's wait for any applicants." the Queen replied.

Meanwhile, in one of the rooms of the castle, the girls of the Chase are doing some chit-chat.

"Have you heard? The Queen is recruiting a new member!" Lire started.

"Hmph… What for? The Chase is strong even without a new member. Why would the Queen even recruit another one?" Elesis replied.

"I suppose that you wouldn't consider the thought that evil has grown into a bigger volume." Arme said to Elesis.

"Yeah, because you'll just say that you are strong enough to destroy a big amount of those 'evil' beings." Amy said while practicing a new dance routine.

"Oh shut up, pumpkin head." Elesis retorted.

"Now, now girls, let's not fight over such a little matter. Elesis, why can't you be a little more like Mari?" Lire said as she tried to stop Elesis and Amy from fighting.

"What? Be a nerd?" Elesis asked back.

"Maybe Lire means that you should try to be quieter. But come to think of it, you are right. Try to be smarter." Arme answered while reading a book about black magic.

"Are you insulting me?" Elesis asked angrily.

"No. I'm just saying that in many instances, you displayed signs of stupidity so you should try to be smarter." Arme replied, not even looking up from her book.

"AAARRRGGGHHH! You're dead, Arme!" Elesis said as she charged Arme.

"Elesis! Calm down! Amy, help me with this! Mari, help!" Lire shouted as she grabbed hold of Elesis.

"Calm down, will ya? You're getting angry so quickly!" Amy said while pushing Elesis away from Arme.

"Mari! We need a little help here!" Lire said while struggling to keep Elesis restrained in her grasp.

"If I apply this principle of technology, this machine would be very effective in electronic countermeasures. Who knows what kind of technologies could the enemy possess? If I conjured this machine in battle with a technomancer, the enemy's doomed…" Mari muttered while building her strange machine, not caring about the commotion behind her.

"Hehehe… that's Mari; she doesn't get involved in fights. Elesis, try to be more like her." Arme said, still not looking up from her book.

This statement angered Elesis even more.

"Lire! Amy! Let me go, dammit!" Elesis said while kicking and screaming like some sort of a possessed person.

"Oh no, Arme… look at what you've done… You angered Elesis even more." Lire said.

In another room beside the hang-out room of the girls, the boys of the Chase are doing their own thing. Lass is sharpening and polishing his daggers, Ryan is watering the potted plant in the room, Jin is practicing his kicks on the wall, Sieghart is taking a nap, and Ronan is doing nothing. That's when the screams from the other room came into audibility. Ronan is the first one to notice it since he's doing nothing.

"Let me guess. Elesis got into a fight with Arme _again._" Ronan started.

No reaction came from the guys.

"Should we help stop the fight or something?" Ronan asked.

Lass looked up from what he was doing.

"Dude, it's a girls' fight. Why do you want to get involved?" Lass answered.

Then they heard Elesis say this statement:

_I'm gonna kill you, Arme! I swear! Dammit, let me go, will ya?_

"There! Is that enough for an answer?" Ronan retorted.

"Guess so." Lass replied.

Jin stopped kicking the wall.

"I'll be the one to go there. I know what to do to make Elesis stop." Jin said.

So he went in the girls' room, only to find that it was in a complete mess. He walked towards Elesis.

"Amy, would you please step aside?" Jin asked Amy, who was still pushing Elesis away from Arme.

Amy stepped away and dropped down on the bed, breathing hard.

"Lire, try to hold her tighter." Jin commanded.

Lire held on, this time she made her hold tighter. Jin took a stance and quickly hit all of Elesis' pressure points. Soon enough, Elesis, panting very hard, lay unmoving on the floor.

"I guess my work here is done." Jin said as he left the room.

As Jin entered the boys' room, he was immediately asked about what happened.

"So, how'd it go?" Ryan asked; this time, he is sitting on the floor, doing nothing also.

"Just a quick hit at all the pressure points made Elesis stop." Jin replied.

"Dammit… will all of you shut up? Someone's trying to sleep here!" Sieghart muttered.

"Hmph. Lazy old man…" Lass muttered.

"You might want to take it back. When Master Sieghart's angry, he's a lot worse than Elesis. And when that comes, hitting pressure points won't make him stop." Ronan said.

"Yeah whatever." Lass replied, putting back his daggers in its sheath.

Meanwhile, a wanderer stopped by the gates of Serdin kingdom. The wanderer was a girl wearing a black cloak with silver outlines with its hood on her head. The guards eyed at the person warily. A guard positioned his weapon in defense and asked her.

"State your business here." he said.

"My, my… is that how you treat new arrivals here?" the girl said.

"I apologize. Times have changed, miss. Since the war against Kaze'aze, we have been told to more alert of any strange being, for he, she, or it, may be a minion of evil." the guard replied.

"I understand that quite well. See, while I was travelling, I saw a notification in Kanavan that the Queen of Serdin is recruiting a new member for the Chase." the girl said.

"Hmph. Well, in that case, you may enter. Welcome to the Kingdom of Serdin." the guard replied. "Open the gates!"

"Thank you." the girl said as she entered.

The girl walked towards the castle. People stared at her for being so weird. She did not mind them, though. She just continued with her walk. Upon arriving at the gates, some guards blocked her path.

"I have come to apply for Grand Chase membership." the girl merely said.

The guards parted and the girl was allowed to enter the gates and she did. After that, she entered the gigantic doors, climbed up the stairs and walked down the corridor that lay before her. Soon enough, she arrived at the middle of a 4-way intersection.

"Damn… how can I be so stupid? I didn't ask for directions! I hate myself for being so arrogant!" the girl ranted.

Gathering up her will to find the throne room, she turned left. A few moments later, she bumped against someone, causing her to fall on the floor; she was walking down a semi-dark corridor with her hood down.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Are you hurt? Here, let me help you up." the 'someone' said.

"No, no, I'm okay. It's my fault anyway. I didn't remove my hood." the girl said while standing up by herself.

"Glad to know that you're fine. Oh, how rude of me, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Lire." Lire said with a smile.

"I'm Natsumi. Nice meeting you, Miss Lire."

"Likewise. Oh, and please don't address me as 'Miss' or whatever." Lire replied as they shook hands.

"I'm sorry Mi— I mean, Lire. It's just that it's an honor for me to be in the presence of one of the members of the Grand Chase." Natsumi explained.

"Oh, come on. You're so formal. From now on, we're friends. So no more 'Miss', 'Ma'am' or any honorifics, okay?" Lire said.

"Okay, Lire." Natsumi replied.

"There. That's better. So, what brings you here to Serdin castle?" Lire asked.

"I want to apply for the Grand Chase membership. And apparently, I got lost in finding the throne room." Natsumi answered.

"Oh, I see… Well, in order for you to get to the throne room, just walk down this corridor. And when you see a way going right, turn there. Soon enough, you'll arrive at an intricately designed golden door. That's the throne room door." Lire said.

"Thank you so much, Lire. I better be on my way now." Natsumi replied. "Oh, and please don't tell your teammates about me." And with that, she ran away.

"Okay! Good luck!" Lire shouted cheerfully.

Following the directions that Lire gave, Natsumi arrived at a grand door.

"Go on. Push the door open. Nobody would kill you in there." a male voice said.

Natsumi was startled. She turned around and found Sieghart.

_Oh my gosh… the legendary Sieghart is talking to me!_ Natsumi thought.

"O—okay…" she stammered.

And so, Natsumi entered. Sieghart went in along with her. Inside the dark room was a spotlighted single throne with the Queen sitting on it. The throne was so elegantly designed, truly fit for a queen. Sieghart went forward and kneeled on one knee.

"Your Majesty. You called?" Sieghart addressed.

The Queen smiled.

"I knew that my intuition was right. I kept on thinking that when you come here today, you will bring an applicant; turns out that I'm right after all." The Queen said.

"So does that mean that I won't be sent on a mission?" Sieghart asked.

"No." the Queen replied.

_Yes! More naptime! PARTEH-PARTEH!_ Sieghart rejoiced inwardly.

"However—"

_Damn! Paradise lost!_ Sieghart cursed in his mind.

"—since the knight master isn't around, you'll have to supervise the test of this applicant here. Understood?" the Queen said.

"Yes, your Majesty." Sieghart replied through gritted teeth.

"Good. Wait for the applicant beside the portal. Now, I would like to know more about the applicant. Come closer so that I may see you clearly." the Queen said kindly.

Natsumi walked towards the Queen and kneeled on one knee.

"Your Majesty." Natsumi said.

"Ah, you're a girl. You have such a lovely voice, dearie." the Queen commented.

"Thank you, your Majesty." Natsumi replied.

"Oh, please remove your hood." the Queen said. "And please stand up."

Natsumi stood then proceeded with removing her hood, revealing a face so beautiful that the Queen was so astounded. Her black hair cascaded down her back like water smoothly running down a waterfall and her eyes are hazel. She has a light complexion, rosy cheeks and pink lips. Yet her face is expressionless.

"You're a very beautiful person. Tell me, what is your name and how old are you?" the Queen asked.

"My name is Natsumi and I'm 13, your Majesty." Natsumi replied.

"Hmm… you're too young to be part of the Chase. Yet, if you prove your skills, you will be permitted to join the group of the elite warriors in all of Bermesiah." The Queen stated.

"I will do my best to succeed." Natsumi said.

"That's the spirit. Okay. 1st test, do you see the training dummies around you?"

Natsumi turned around to find the dummies arranged in an arc. She did not see the dummies being placed in position.

"Your task is to destroy all the dummies within a 1 minute time limit. Are you ready?"

"You can do it, kid! Show her whatcha got!" Sieghart said from beside the portal.

"I'm ready, your Majesty." Natsumi said.

"Your 1 minute starts… now." The Queen said as she pushed a button on her timer.

Natsumi ran towards the dummies. While running, she pulled out two pairs of nunchaku. She then crossed her arms on her chest. She then jumped suddenly and did a forward flip. She landed on the ground on one knee and swiftly moved her arms in a horizontal arc-like motion; an arm moving right, another moving left. Then she stood up, put back her nunchaku back to her belt holster and walked back to her original place. As she was walking, the heads of all the dummies fell onto the floor. Afterwards, the shoulder part of the dummies dropped to the floor as well.

She stood before the Queen, acting like nothing happened. The Queen was once again astounded; Sieghart stood gaping in awe. The Queen stopped the timer. She almost fainted in awe for the girl.

"You… are… amazing… you finished the test in 10 seconds! A new record!" the queen said in pure admiration. "If only I could judge applicants after the 1st test then I would've permitted you to join right then and there. But I can't do it, for there is still a 2nd and 3rd test."

"I understand, your Majesty." Natsumi replied.

"Your 2nd test is in the Trial Forest. You have to obtain Treant's apple in order to declare the test as done. Then the last test is that you have to go to Trial Tower and defeat the monster lurking at the top." the Queen explained.

"Yes, your Majesty, I understand fully." Natsumi replied.

"Good. Now I will explain how you will travel. See that portal beside Sieghart? That will transport you to the Trial Forest. At the Trial Forest, once you have obtained an apple of Treant, a portal will light up. Use that portal to transport yourself to the Trial Tower. Defeat the monster, find the portal and it will bring you back here. Understood?"

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Like the 1st test, it will involve time, yet it doesn't have a time limit. But remember this: the faster you finish the tests, the better."

"I understand, your Majesty."

"Okay, looks like everything is all set. Sieghart will supervise the test. The test will start after you have disappeared through the portal. Oh, that reminds me; Sieghart, come here!" the Queen said.

"Yes, your Majesty?" Sieghart said as he stopped from his run.

"There's this device that Mari made. She said that it could take uhm… what do you call that again? Ah yes, photographs. The device is called a camera. Here, take it." the Queen said while giving the camera to Sieghart.

"Uhhh… what am I supposed to do with this thing?" Sieghart asked as he fiddled with the camera.

"You will take photographs of Natsumi while she's in action so as to help me decide whether she could join the Chase or not." the Queen replied. "And also, I want to see her special attacks."

"But, how do you use this thing?"

"You see a button there, right?"

"So what am I gonna do about it?"

"That's what you're going to press when you will take a picture."

"How will I know if it's Natsumi that I'm taking a photograph of?"

"See the little screen there? When you see Natsumi displayed there, press the button and the camera will take a photograph."

"Ugh. It's too hard for me to understand, your Majesty. Just call Mari to do the photographs." Sieghart complained.

"Hmph. Fine then. Squire! Summon Mari in the throne room now!" the Queen ordered.

"Yes, your Majesty. Right away!" answered the squire.

A few moments later, a blue-haired girl shyly entered the throne room. She walked towards the Queen and then kneeled on one knee

"You summoned for me, your Majesty?" Mari said.

"Yes, Mari. Please do stand up." the Queen replied.

Mari stood up then they discussed matters about the camera. While they were discussing, Sieghart took the time to talk to Natsumi.

"Hey. You were amazing back there, finishing the test in 10 seconds. It's even faster than my record, 13 seconds, which was the fastest before the new one replaced it." Sieghart complimented.

"Thank you, Sir Sieghart." Natsumi replied.

"May I see that weapon of yours? How can it destroy things all so fast?" Sieghart inquired.

"My weapon is called a nunchaku. Actually, mine is a special kind. One end is bladed and the other end is for holding. The blades are specially crafted so as to cut the air around them, or so they say." Natsumi said as she handed the nunchaku to Sieghart.

"Ow! Damn! The blades wounded me! And I didn't even touch them!" Sieghart exclaimed.

"So what they say is really true." Natsumi replied as she bandaged Sieghart's wound.

"Ehem. It looks like you two are busy right now. Maybe if we continue the tests later, would that be fine?" the Queen interrupted.

"Ah, I'm sorry for my impudence, your Majesty. It won't happen again." Natsumi apologized.

"So, to continue. Mari here will be the one who will take photographs and you, Sieghart, will be the one to supervise the whole test. Also, you will be the one who will record her special attacks." the Queen said as she threw a clipboard to Sieghart, which he caught.

"Good luck, Natsumi. I expect that you will succeed." the Queen said.

"Thank you, your Majesty. I will truly do my best." Natsumi replied.

With that, Natsumi, Sieghart, and Mari ran to the portal and positioned there.

"Okay, Natsumi. Timer… starts…" the Queen stated.

"…now." she said as Natsumi disappeared along with Sieghart and Mari.

The ride was quick, although it made Natsumi a little dizzy upon landing on the grassy floor of the Trial Forest.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Sieghart said.

Natsumi then remembered the reason why she is there and quickly put out her weapon. Sieghart and Mari positioned themselves behind the scenes to do his or her respective task. The first thing that Natsumi encountered was a little mushroom-like creature.

"Hmph. You try to deceive me with your looks. I will show no mercy." Natsumi said as she slashed her opponent with her weapon.

The second thing that came was a slime creature. She slashed it dead too. This manner of fighting continued until all enemy creatures lay dead before her. She then continued walking. She encountered more of the slime and mushroom creatures and all of them suffered the same manner as the earlier ones. She then came upon a raccoon. Unlike the earlier creatures, the raccoon didn't die immediately after one slash. After quickly recovering from the attack, it gave Natsumi an attack of its own.

"So, you wanna dance with me, huh? Well then, I'll give you the best performance that you have ever seen before you die." Natsumi said.

She then charged up a little of her mana and ran towards the creature.

"HAAAAA! BLADED NUNCHAKU FURY!"

Natsumi's 2 pairs of nunchaku quickly joined together at the blunt ends. Soon enough, she was spinning the conjoined nunchaku like a baton. The blades are so sharp that even the nearby leaves are sliced even if none of them are touched by the blade. Seconds later, the spinning died down, the nunchaku separated into two again, and the raccoon lay on the ground, dead.

"Okay, skill 1: Bladed Nunchaku Fury. Mari, did you get the picture?" Sieghart asked as he wrote on the clipboard.

"Actually, I am taking a video of her." Mari replied.

"What the heck is a video?" Sieghart looked up from his work and eyed at Mari questioningly.

"Her attack is amazing. The highly sharpened blades of her nunchaku immediately killed the enemy." Mari said, not answering Sieghart's query.

Natsumi continued forth and at last, she arrived at the area where Treant stood.

"This will be easy." Natsumi said.

She ran towards Treant while charging up her mana to mid-strength. Then she jumped high and threw kunai at the moving tree while she was descending in an arc-like fashion. The kunai stuck to Treant, as expected. Upon landing on one knee, Natsumi muttered a spell then shouted.

"KUNAI ARC EXPLOSION!"

The knives that stuck on Treant's body exploded, causing a great damage to the tree. But it was not enough to kill the tree.

"Come on, Treant. Don't make yourself suffer any longer." Natsumi taunted.

To charge up her mana, she slashed at the tree for a few times. When she felt that her mana gauge is full, she raised her mana charge to its highest level. Then, she ran around the tree and threw some things. No, not kunai but hira-shuriken. The hira-shuriken formed a ring of star-shaped blades across the tree. She stopped running and stood in front of Treant at a safe distance. Again, she muttered some incantations and then, she shouted again.

"HIRA-SHURIKEN SUPERNOVA!"

The hira-shuriken exploded. Treant was reduced into a myriad of wood pieces. Natsumi calmly put back her nunchaku into its holster. Then, an apple rolled towards Natsumi. She picked it up and put it in one of the pockets of her cloak.

"Skill 2: Kunai Arc Explosion. Skill 3: Hira-shuriken Supernova. She's a fast destroyer." Sieghart commented as he recorded the skills. "I'm wondering… how did the knives and blades explode after she said the spell?"

"The blades and the knives both have gunpowder in them." Mari merely replied.

A portal glowed to life after Natsumi put the apple in her cloak pocket. She ran to it but she did not disappear just yet.

"Sir Sieghart? Miss Mari?" Natsumi said as she glanced around the surroundings, looking for her 2 companions.

Sieghart and Mari ran towards the portal. They disappeared through it all together.

Meanwhile, back at Serdin Castle, Elesis was still asleep on the bed the girls' hang-out room. Unlike earlier, the boys are now with the girls in the room.

"Hey Jin, how hard did you hit Elesis earlier?" Amy asked.

"Uhm… not that hard, I guess. I'm surprised how those hits made a big effect on her. She's been asleep for an hour already. Usually, the people whom I used that trick on wake up after 15 minutes or so." Jin answered.

Silence swept throughout the room after the mini-conversation. Suddenly, Lire muttered something while polishing her bow.

"Hmm… I wonder how Natsumi is doing…"

"What?" Arme asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing… Just me and my absent-mindedness…" Lire replied.

"I heard that, Lire. You said a name, something like Natsumi." Lass said while throwing kunai at the blank wall.

"Who's Natsumi?" Ryan asked.

"Sorry but I can't tell you." Lire replied.

"Oh come on, Lire. You already mentioned the name. Tell us some details!" Amy said, very intrigued.

"Oh, all right. But promise that you won't tell Natsumi that I said something about her when you meet her." Lire said.

"So Natsumi is a girl… hehehe… glad to know…" Arme said.

Suddenly, Elesis woke up. Amy jumped in front of Arme automatically.

"Hiya, guys. What's up?" Elesis said while rubbing her eyes.

"Ah, you're finally awake. We were just about to start a discussion about a certain person named Natsumi." Ronan replied.

"Who's Natsumi?" Elesis asked.

"Why don't we just listen to Lire? She's the one who encountered Natsumi anyway." Ryan answered.

"Well, see, I was walking along the corridor when someone bumped against me. Then I tried to help the person up, but the person stood up without accepting my help. We then introduced each other. Then I asked Natsumi why she is at Serdin Castle then she said that she'll apply for membership in the Chase. She asked for directions to the throne room so I gave her directions. Then, she ran off after thanking me." Lire related. "She is such a polite person. I could feel that she has a good personality. Also, I felt a very strong aura of strength surrounding her. I hope that she will be qualified to join the Chase."

"So, how does she look like?" Amy asked. The boys craned their necks to hear in order to hear Lire's response better.

"When I met her, she's wearing a black cloak so I didn't see how she looked like." Lire answered. "But I know from her voice that she is a girl."

"I wonder what her weapon is…" Lass said.

"Hey, have you seen Sieghart and Mari?" Elesis suddenly said.

"While you were asleep, the Queen summoned them to the throne room. But I'm wondering, why aren't they here yet?" Arme said.

"Maybe they got sent on a mission or something." Amy replied.

"But the Queen said that the knight master won't be here for some days so the missions will be resumed when she gets back." Elesis said.

"Well, you never know… they may be given a special mission…" Ronan said.

"You might be right…" Jin said.

Obviously, Elesis forgot about her anger issues towards Arme.

Okay, back to where Natsumi is. She is now standing at the base of Trial Tower. Upon steadying herself, she ran inside, killing every enemy that she laid her eyes on. Sieghart and Mari followed close behind, with Mari taking a video of Natsumi, since there are no hiding places in the tower unlike in the forest. A series of fast kills later, Natsumi arrived at the top of the tower. There, she saw a monster that looked like the abominable snowman. It was not facing her. She took the chance to try to inflict some damage on the monster. She walked stealthily towards the monster while charging up her mana and dropped some hira-shuriken while dashing in a circular manner around the creature, forming, yet again, a ring of bladed stars around the monster. Then, she walked to a safe distance while muttering the spell. This time, she did not shout. Rather, she whispered the words that would finally summon the creature's doom.

"Hira-shuriken Supernova."

The explosion damaged the monster greatly as it was thrown at a high distance. But upon landing on the ground, the monster immediately stood up and charged Natsumi. She dodged it with great speed. Then, pulling out the 2 pairs of nunchaku from its holster, she ran towards the creature while slashing her nunchaku repeatedly. It did some damage, but the monster still lives. Natsumi, tired from too much running and moving, was breathing hard. The monster saw that Natsumi was tired so it took the chance to roll like a bowling ball towards her. The poor girl, being so tired, did not have the energy to dodge the attack and thus, took the full force of the attack. Natsumi was thrown aback and hit the tower's wall.

"Come on, Natsumi, fight. Prove that you are worthy to be a member of the Chase." Sieghart whispered an encouragement to Natsumi while hiding with Mari in an area where the monster could not see them.

Natsumi weakly put her hand inside a pocket in her cloak and rummaged it for anything. When she felt that she got hold of something, she pulled out her hand. The 'something' was a bottle of potion of sorts. She then weakly opened the bottle and drank the entire potion.

"Hey Mari, what did she drink?" Sieghart asked.

"A potion. I know the formula how to make one." Mari replied.

Natsumi suddenly felt energy surging through her body. Feeling refreshed, she jumped up from her leaning position and placed her nunchaku in attack position.

"Hahaha… almost got me killed right there… but that will never happen. I will not let something like you defeat me." Natsumi said.

Holding a pair of nunchaku with each hand while crossing her arms over her chest, she ran towards the monster as she charged her mana to its highest level.

"HAAAAAAAAAAH!"

As she neared the monster, she stretched her arms left and right and spun like a top towards the creature.

Even if the blades did not touch the creature yet, the movement inflicted some wounds at the monster. And when the blades touched the creature, it bellowed in pain until it met its end. Natsumi stopped spinning and collapsed to the ground, breathing hard again. Amazingly, she still found some strength to put back her nunchaku back to her belt holster.

"And cut. End of video." Mari stated as she pressed a button of the camera.

Sieghart, dropping the clipboard, came out of his hiding place and ran towards Natsumi.

"Sir… Sieghart… How did… I… do…?" Natsumi said as she panted hard.

"You did great, kid. You did great." Sieghart replied as he lifted Natsumi and carried her towards the portal that suddenly lit up.

"Thank you… Sir Sieghart…" Natsumi said before fainting.

Sieghart put back the hood on Natsumi for an unknown reason. Mari came out, carrying the clipboard, and ran after Natsumi and Sieghart. They got to the portal and took them away from the ruckus.

Back to the Chase girls' hang-out room; some of the members of the Chase are getting worried.

"Hmm… it's more than an hour since the two were summoned by the Queen… Where could they be now?" Ronan said.

"Wanna go ask the Queen?" Ryan suggested.

All the members of the Chase stood up, eager to know where Sieghart and Mari went. So they all went to the throne room. Upon entering the room, they kneeled and bowed down in homage to the Queen. Lire looked up and saw a timer beside the Queen.

"Ah, the Grand Chase. Is there a problem?" the Queen said.

"We wanted to ask about Master Sieghart and Mari, your Majesty. May we know where they are?" Ronan said as he looked up.

"Sieghart and Mari are currently with the applicant for the Grand Chase membership. Sieghart is supervising the test while Mari became the photographer." the Queen replied.

_So that's why there is a timer…_ Lire thought. _Mari and her camera… so that's why she is not here too…_

"Well, now that you're here, why don't you just wait for them? Maybe after a minute or two, they will arrive." the Queen continued.

"Yes, your Majesty." The members said as they all stood up.

Then, the portal twinkled, which signifies that someone is coming from there.

"Ah, speaking of which…" the Queen said.

A few seconds later, Mari appeared through the portal, followed by Sieghart who was still carrying an unconscious Natsumi. The members of the Chase ran towards them to welcome them back. But Mari ran towards the Queen to show her the video.

"I expect that you have some of those photographs, hmm?" the Queen said.

"Even better, your Majesty. I took a video of the girl. That way, you will see the whole test." Mari replied. "Here, I will show you how to play the video."

"That will have to wait. For now, I must see Natsumi." the Queen said. "Where is she anyway?"

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that the girl is unconscious for now…" Sieghart replied.

"Hmm… what a shame… I wanted to talk to her immediately after the test, but it seems that she is unavailable for now. Very well then, please bring her to a vacant room." The Queen said.

Sieghart and the others went out of the room. Mari stayed and showed the video to the Queen.

In the corridor, the girls argued with the boys about where Natsumi should stay.

"The girl should stay in our room. You boys might do something funny to her." Amy said.

"Yeah, she's right. Besides, the girl has wounds. You boys know nothing about treating wounds gently." Arme said.

"Oh, all right. But we'll stay in your room." Sieghart said. _Hehehe… jackpot…_

At last, they arrived at the girls' hang-out room. Sieghart laid Natsumi on the bed and went to the room's couch to continue his nap.

"Hmph. The girl is weak, fainting after the test. She's not strong enough to be a member." Elesis said.

"Maybe she has a terrible wound, causing her to faint. I'll use Cure on her." Arme said as she removed Natsumi's cloak.

With the cloak removed, it revealed a beautiful, sleeping snow princess. The boys, with the exception of Sieghart, can't take their eyes off the girl. Amy looked at Jin and saw him actually drooling at the sight of Natsumi. Amy hit Jin behind the head.

"OW! What was that for, Amy?" Jin asked as he rubbed the spot that Amy hit.

"Hmph!" Amy sat down on a chair, crossing her arms and her legs.

Lire giggled. At another area of the room, Elesis was kicking Ronan for staring at Natsumi. Lire saw that too and chuckled. Lass sat at the chair by the window and sighed.

"You people are weird. You just saw pretty girl then you let your guard down." Lass muttered while reading a book about easily hid weapons.

Anyway, back to Arme.

"Hmm… the girl has many bruises… how did she get them?" Arme said while charging a little of her mana.

"CURE!" Arme said as she cast a healing spell on Natsumi. "There, that should do it. She'll wake up after a few moments."

"That's good to know." Lire said.

A few minutes later, Natsumi stirred in her sleep.

"Oh look! She's waking up!" Lire excitedly said.

Natsumi gently opened her eyes and the first person that she saw was Lire. She sat up slowly.

"Where… where am I?" Natsumi asked as she looked around the room.

"You're in one of the rooms in Serdin Castle." Lass said without even bothering to look up.

"I see… uhm, where's my cloak?" Natsumi asked again while getting down from the bed.

"Whoa, slow down there. You have to rest for a while in order for the Cure spell to manifest its maximum potential. By the way, your cloak is right here on the table. I have to remove it in order for the spell to penetrate you fully." Arme replied.

"Oh, thank you very much, Miss…"

"My name's Arme. What's your name? Oh, and please don't address me with honorifics."

"Nice to meet you, Arme. My name is Natsumi."

And the two girls shook hands.

"Let me introduce you to the others." Arme said as she sat down beside Natsumi. "The name of that blonde girl near you is Lire. She's a good person, I'm telling you."

"So, we meet again." Lire said as she gave a warm smile towards Natsumi.

Natsumi smiled back.

"That silver-haired guy reading a book is Lass. But here's a warning: if you tease him that his name is a girl's name, he won't hesitate to inflict a great wound on you or maybe even kill you." Arme whispered the warning.

"I will remember that." Natsumi replied.

"The red-haired girl is Elesis. She can be stupid at times, take my word for it." Arme unhesitatingly said.

"I'll pretend that I didn't hear that, Arme!" Elesis said.

"That poor guy over there that Elesis beat up earlier is Ronan. You'll have to excuse the formalities while talking to him. But after a few days or so, the formalities will decrease."

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Natsu-" Ronan was cut off from what he is saying as Elesis kicked him again.

"The pink-haired girl who is sitting across the room is Amy and the boy beside her is Jin. They're the most popular lovebirds of the Chase."

"Oh come on, Amy, what did I do? Okay. Whatever I did, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry." Jin tried to apologize to Amy.

"Okay, Jin. But next time you do that, it's gonna take more than those apologies to make me forgive you." Amy said as she kissed Jin on the cheek.

Jin dropped to the floor with hearts dancing around his head.

"You'll get used to that scene sooner or later. Anyway, to continue, the guy sitting beside the potted plant by the door is Ryan. Just don't destroy anything nature-related or else, you'll receive a punishment."

"I understand that." Natsumi replied.

"You saw the blue-haired girl earlier, right? That's Mari. Don't talk to her when she is doing an experiment or fixing a piece of machinery or else you will look like a fool talking to the air. She's a very smart girl, if you get her drift."

"In short, she's a nerd!" Elesis shouted, finally finished in beating up Ronan.

"You'll have to excuse Elesis. She can be a bit rude sometimes." Arme whispered.

"Maybe it's already in her personality." Natsumi said.

"I guess you're right. And last but not the least, the man who is sleeping at the couch is the legendary Sieghart. I suppose that you know him by reputation."

"How can you call a person who lazes around all day as legendary?" Elesis retorted.

"Earlier after the test, before I fainted, I saw and felt Sir Sieghart carry me. For how long did he carry me?" Natsumi asked Arme.

"Let's see… you said he started to carry you before you fainted. There's the portal ride, a few minutes with the Queen, the walk along the corridors, and the end destination is here in the room. I can't estimate the time length." Arme replied.

"Oh no… that looks like a long distance… I better apologize to Sir Sieghart." Natsumi said.

"You are so polite. But don't do it now. If you really want to say an apology, do it when he's awake." Arme advised.

"Thank you for the advice, the Cure, and the introductions… I really appreciate it…" Natsumi said.

"No problem! You look fit to be part of the Chase so I guess that a little introduction would do just fine." Arme replied.

A few moments later, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Ryan said, for he was just beside the door.

Ryan opened the door and he saw that it was the Queen who knocked.

"Oh! Your Majesty!" Ryan said as he immediately knelt in homage.

Hearing Ryan's response made the Chase react as well. They all knelt in respect. Natsumi got down from the bed and knelt down too.

"Hey, old man. The Queen's here. Show some respect!" Elesis quietly scolded Sieghart who was still sleeping on the couch.

Upon hearing Elesis mention the word 'Queen', Sieghart quickly got up and knelt down as if he wasn't sleeping all the while earlier.

"Please stand up. Let's go to the throne room and we'll watch how Natsumi's test went." the Queen said.

They all got up, including Natsumi, who quickly grabbed her cloak, and went to the throne room. When they entered, they saw a big screen set up before the throne.

"Mari and her technology…" Sieghart muttered as he and the others assembled near the throne.

"After watching the video that Mari got, I told her that I wanted the Chase to see the video as well. So she immediately set up this screen with a projector of sorts. After a few moments, the video will start. You may evaluate Natsumi's test yet the final decision falls upon me, understood?" the Queen said.

"Yes, your Majesty." The Chase replied.

"Good. Now please, sit down." the Queen requested.

The Chase sat down, including Natsumi. She sat down between Arme and Lire.

"Yay! Now we will also see how good you are! Good thing that we have a member like Mari." Arme whispered cheerfully to Natsumi.

"Mari, play the video." the Queen commanded.

Mari played the video. Seconds later, it started.

The first scene was at the Trial Forest. Natsumi was shown there, calmly walking forward, and then killing the first opponent with one slash. More opponents came and they saw Natsumi quickly killing them all. Lass was kind of impressed with the fast kills, yet Elesis remained unimpressed.

"Hmph. Those are weak enemies anyway. It's highly possible to kill them with only one attack." Elesis muttered.

"Then why am I remembering that you got hit by one of those mushroom creatures? You were thrown quite far then." Arme teased quietly.

"Damn you, Arme… once were back in the room, I'm gonna beat you up real good." Elesis said as she tried to control her anger.

"Hey, will you two try to shut up? I'm trying to concentrate on the video!" Lass said angrily.

Then, they got to the part in the video where Natsumi encountered the raccoon. Natsumi crawled away to hide for a while because she remembered that her special skill destroyed a lot of plants.

"Natsumi, where are you going?" Lire asked upon seeing Natsumi a few yards away from her seat.

"To be honest, I'm trying to hide, Lire. Sir Ryan might get angry if he sees the special skill. Please send him my apologies." Natsumi said as she sat behind the throne.

And they saw Natsumi display her first special skill. As expected, Ryan bowed his head down in anger or in sadness as he saw Natsumi's weapon destroy a part of the forest.

"Tree hugger…" Elesis muttered.

"Uhm, Ryan? Natsumi sends her apologies. She is sorry for the destruction." Lire said as she patted Ryan on the shoulder.

Moving on to the part where Natsumi encountered Treant. There, they saw Natsumi display her 2nd and 3rd special skill. Those skills destroyed Treant, not even giving him a chance to attack.

"Impressive attacks… Hey Natsu-" Lass didn't get to continue what he will say as he saw that Natsumi is not in her place anymore. "Hmph. Maybe later."

A few moments later, they are now watching the 2nd part of the video: The Trial Tower. Apparently, the part where Natsumi killed the preliminary opponents was skipped because the manner of fighting there was just the same with the first test. And now, moving on to the part where the girl encountered the Yeti-like creature. The Hira-shuriken Supernova started the fight, although it did not end it. They saw Natsumi dodge the monster's attack with amazing speed, counterattacking it with some slashes of her own. Then they saw Natsumi get weak all so suddenly, thereby enticing the monster to attack again. They saw Natsumi take the attack's full force.

"See, I told you she's weak." Elesis said quietly.

"Oh please, do shut up." Lire scolded.

Arme, who was staring intently at the screen, saw Natsumi pull something out from her pocket. A few moments later, the battle resumed. Natsumi gave the final attack, a bladed whirlwind of sorts, thus killing the monster.

The video ended at the part where Natsumi collapsed to the ground. The screen was all white again.

"So…" the Queen started. "…any reactions?"

No response came from the Chase, as they were rendered speechless because of Natsumi's skills; although Elesis' expression hints that she wants to say that Natsumi is weak.

"Hmm… seems that you have none… Well, you may go back to your rooms." the Queen said.

"Natsumi, come out now. The video's finished." Lire said.

Natsumi came out from her hiding place and approached Lire.

"Natsumi, I will call you back again, along with the Chase, then I will announce if you qualify for membership or not. Understood?" the Queen said.

"Yes, your Majesty." Natsumi replied.

"Lire, may I ask why Natsumi is hiding behind my throne earlier?" the Queen asked.

"Your Majesty, she was afraid that Ryan might do something to her when he sees her 1st special skill." Lire answered.

"Well, is that so? Very well then, you may go now." the Queen said.

Let's cut the 'walking at the corridor' part and let's head straight to the boys' room this time.

"Hey Natsumi, I want to ask about your weapons. May I see them?" Lass said.

"Sure. But be careful in handling the nunchaku. Sir Sieghart already got wounded because of it." Natsumi said.

"Okay. By the way, I'm Lass. Do me a favor, will ya? Don't use honorifics when addressing me."

"Okay." Natsumi replied as she gave the weapons to Lass.

"You said that the nunchaku could wound somebody if they don't handle it properly. How so?"

"One end of the nunchaku is covered with highly sharpened blades."

"And how do you manage not to inflict wounds on yourself?"

Natsumi removed her cloak, revealing an outfit like that of a ninja but without the head covering.

"Hmm… the outfit could explain all those skills displayed earlier, the stealth moves, swift attacks, and the weapons. But how does it explain the protection part?"

"This outfit is specially designed so as to not go into ruin at any attack of a blade or explosion. In short, I have full defense against bladed weapons and inferno summons."

"Now about the weapons, the nunchaku part is done so how about the kunai and the hira-shuriken? How did it explode?"

"The kunai and the hira-shuriken are dual-purposed actually. It could serve as a bladed weapon or as an explosive device; both of them have gunpowder. But only I could activate the explosive function by saying a spell."

"Cool… So to sum it all up, you're like a spell caster ninja?"

"Let's just say that I am not an ordinary ninja."

With that, Natsumi cloaked herself again but without the hood on her head, took back her weapons and returned them to where they are located in her cloak. She then walked to Sieghart, who was currently lazing around, as usual.

"Uhm, Sir Sieghart? I… I want to thank you and also… apologize for earlier. I must've been a great burden." Natsumi started.

"Hmph. That's nothing. That's what a gentleman, like ME, would do. Now run along, kid. I wanna sleep." Sieghart said.

"Okay then, Sir Sieghart." Natsumi replied as she walked away.

There was a girls' circle at the bed and Amy invited her for some chit-chat. Natsumi accepted and soon enough, they are spilling secrets.

"I really feel positive about your membership in the Chase. I hope that it will be true." Amy said. "And now, to the main topic! Who is your crush or loved one? Answers are not Chase-member limited. That means the answer could be anyone, even outside of the continent."

"Well, pumpkin head, since you started the topic, why don't you say yours, first?" Elesis retorted.

"Oh come on, everybody knows that I love my Jinny! And I know that he loves me too!" Amy replied proudly.

When Jin heard Amy's statement, he went red in the face and dropped to the floor again.

"Oh no… will Sir Jin be okay?" Natsumi asked worriedly.

"He'll be fine. Just don't mind him. I told you he's always like that." Arme said.

"Okay, who's next? What about you, Elesis? Come on, spill!" Amy said.

"Me? I love my sword." Elesis replied. "What? You said that answers are not Chase-member limited."

"Yeah, I did say that, but I meant a person! Remember, we're talking about crushes here. So, no family members." Amy answered back.

"I don't like anyone in the Chase or anyone outside the Chase." Elesis snapped.

"Oh really? Then why did you beat Ronan up earlier when you saw him staring at Natsumi?" Lire teasingly said.

"I… I… J—just shut up!" Elesis said as she blushed madly.

"So she really does like Ronan, her magic knight in shining armor." Lire said.

"What about you, Lire?" Arme asked.

"You all know so well that I like Ryan." Lire replied.

"Wow… that was quick…" Arme said.

"Hey Natsumi, why are you so quiet over there?" Lire asked.

"I'm afraid that if I speak or ask a question related to the topic, someone might get angry." Natsumi replied.

"Is that so? You're so thoughtful… Let's continue, shall we? Next up, Arme!" Amy said.

"W—well… I like… I can't t—tell you." Arme stuttered.

"You're so unfair, Arme. Come on, tell us! Or whisper it to the circle." Lire said.

"Oh, all right." Arme said.

Arme leaned forward and so did the rest of the group. They started to speak in hushed tones.

"Well, to be honest, I like… Lass…" Arme whispered. "There! I said it! Happy now?"

"Arme likes the emo boy. Opposites attract." Amy said while giggling. "Well, too bad Mari's unavailable. Even if she is, she'll just say something about techno-speak. So this means that it's Natsumi's turn to spill!"

"I like a certain guy named Mamoru. He's a pyromancer. He's the one who taught me about explosive devices." Natsumi said, tears slowly welling up in her eyes.

"Hey, Natsumi, are you okay? Maybe we should stop the discussion." Amy said.

"No, Miss Amy, I'm fine. I don't want to be a kill-joy. If you like, I could tell more about the guy." Natsumi said.

Then, someone knocked at the door.

"The Queen summons the Chase and Miss Natsumi into the throne room." the squire said.

"The stories will have to wait. For now, let's go to the throne room to hear what the Queen has to say." Lire said.

At the throne room, the Chase is assembled in an arc-like way with Natsumi at the center.

"Natsumi, please step forward." the Queen said.

Natsumi stepped forward.

"After a long time of reviewing the test for so many times, I finally arrived at a decision. Natsumi, you are just 13 years old. If ever accepted as one of the members of the Chase, will you accept all the responsibilities that will be bestowed upon you?" the Queen asked.

"I will accept all the responsibilities gladly, your Majesty." Natsumi replied.

"Well said, Natsumi… Very well then, welcome to the Grand Chase. You are now officially a member. You are the youngest one to be accepted in the Chase. Congratulations." the Queen said as she went down from her throne to congratulate Natsumi.

Natsumi actually cried tears of joy.

"Thank you, thank you, your Majesty! Thank you so much!" Natsumi said through tears.

"Okay! Group hug!" Amy suddenly shouted.

No one hesitated to join the group hug. After a minute of hugging, the Queen sent them back to their room. At the corridor, a discussion started again.

"Hey guys, I've been thinking, as a congratulatory celebration, we should have a slumber party tonight! And also, Natsumi still has something to share, right?" Lire started.

"I think that idea is… PERFECT! The boys will join too, right?" Amy replied.

"Of course they will. It would be unfair if only the girls will get some bonding time with Natsumi. On one condition, boys. If you will join us, no naughty ideas, okay?" Arme said.

"You have our word." Ronan replied.

They finally arrived at the girls' room.

"LET'S GET THE PARTY STARTED!" Amy suddenly shouted.

Some champagne was brought in the room. All the members of the Chase each had a glass of champagne.

"This day has been amazing. We had a new member today. Well, not only a member, but also, a friend. Isn't that nice? Let's toast for Natsumi's success. Cheers." Sieghart said as he raised his glass.

"CHEERS!" the rest of the Chase replied; then they drank the champagne.

"Okay people, you're drunk. Sit down before something happens." Sieghart said.

"Wad'ya talkin' 'bout, old man? We're not kidsh anymore *hic*! Letsh shtay up all night and parteh*hic*!" Elesis said, obviously not used with even with a little amount of alcohol.

"Elesis, sit down. You can't control your movements anymore." Ronan said as he tried to get Elesis to a nearby couch.

"Ey… Ronan… I'll tell you*hic* a little shecret, okay*hic*?" Elesis said, not trying to break free from Ronan's grasp.

"Okay, I'll listen." Ronan replied, interested even if he's talking to a drunken person.

"Wat I'm trying to shay ish dat*hic* I love you…" Elesis said before she succumbed to alcoholic takeover.

Ronan stood there, dumbstruck. But he still tried to carry Elesis to a couch.

"Whoa, she's drunk…" Jin said.

"O… kay… well then, let's get the party running. Didn't expect that to happen. DJ! Music please!" Amy said.

"I'm on it." Mari replied.

Soon enough, a machine was put in the room. Mari fiddled with some buttons and soon, music started to fill the room. (DJ got us falling in love again!)

"Wow, Mari… some machine you have there… Well, the music's up and running so let's dance! Come on, Jin!" Amy said as she pulled Jin to the room's center and danced.

Natsumi was sitting on the bed, watching the scenes that took place. Sieghart, obviously bored at what he calls a 'kids' party', saw Natsumi all alone so he went near.

"Hey kid. You emptied your glass already, yet you are still sober, unlike my granddaughter over there. She's older than you yet she's the first on to fall down." Sieghart said as he stood beside Natsumi.

"Oh, it's just that I'm used to drinking beverages with alcohol, especially sake. Maybe Miss Elesis is not used with alcoholic drinks." Natsumi said. "Wait, Miss Elesis is your grand-daughter?"

"Yeah, although she doesn't want to admit it."

"Why so, Sir Sieghart? Oh, I'm sorry. I don't mean to interfere."

"You're so polite. Anyway, to change the topic, why are you alone? This party is for you and yet, you yourself are not partying with the others."

"It's because I'm not used to interaction. I'm used to being alone because I am a ninja."

"That figures. Let me ask you, kid. You're 13 years old, right? Ever had a love life?"

"Sir Sieghart, why do you ask such question?"

"It could help me find out another reason why you're alone."

"But it would be kind of stupid of me to reveal that kind of thing to someone I have known for only a short time, especially to a man."

"Kid, you are now a member of the Chase, so consider me as someone more than a stranger. Consider me as your grandfather. All of them do."

"Okay. But promise me that you will not tell anyone what I will tell you. The girls only know the name and some descriptions, but you will know more. I'm doing this only because you look like you will kill me if I don't tell you anything."

"What a harsh thought. But I promise not to tell anyone."

"Okay, here goes. My first and, I hope, last love is a guy named Mamoru. I met him 5 years ago when I was training in a dojo for my last test. That test will determine if I am qualified to be one of the elite ninjas in my place."

"You fell in love with someone while you were still 8 years old? Wow… oh wait, at 8 years old, you are already taking a test of qualification for the elite ninjas?"

"At 8 years old, I felt that I already went through all of life's hardships. Lost my parents whom I didn't even get to see or know when I was still a baby, taken care of different people who soon left me after a few days or so until I wandered the streets until I lay dying in front of a dojo's door when I was 3 and after being nursed back to life, was trained torturously since then. But throughout that, Mamoru made me feel that I have to go on through life. The thought of him inspired me to endure all torture and pain."

"You had a tough childhood. I will not anymore ask how they trained you. How did you meet Mamoru?"

"I was practicing some skills of mine one day at the empty dojo when suddenly, some guy reading a book passed by the room. He seemed intrigued so he came in. I noticed him step in so I stopped for a while. We asked each other about our names and a little description. I was 8 years old at that time, he was 5 years older. I found out that he is the son of my sensei. I also found out that he is a pyromancer. But before that, I used to see him walking around the dojo, always with a book at hand.

"What's a pyromancer? And how come he's not trained to be a ninja like you?"

"A pyromancer is someone who is an expert with the magic of fire. My sensei decided not to train him because he said that one skill is enough for him. He's very good in pyromancy, really good."

"Someone who is an expert in the magic of fire… good thing that he didn't burn down the dojo…"

"Then after that, every time after my practices, we meet each other under the cherry blossom tree. We then exchange knowledge. I teach him some self-defense tricks using small weapons, like the kunai and hira-shuriken, while he taught me the basic principles of pyromancy. Those meetings went on for months. It even passed my said birthday."

"So I guess that's how you learned all those tricks with the weapons."

"The day of the tests came. I passed the tests by doing the skills shown on the video. Sensei was so impressed. He did not ask how I did it. I learned those tricks when I applied some of what I learned from Mamoru. Then one day, while I was sitting under the cherry blossom tree, Mamoru came and sat beside me. He then reached my hand and held it. I was surprised why he did it. Then, he stood up and I did too. He put his hands on my shoulders and he… he confessed that he loves me… I told him that I love him too…"

"Whoa there kid. Don't cry." Sieghart said as he wiped the tears that suddenly fell from Natsumi's eyes.

"I remember… the exact words… that he said to me…" Natsumi said while trying to hold back tears.

"I will not ask about what he said. Seems that question will make you cry even more."

"Then he pulled me close to him and… he… he kissed me… on the lips…"

"Damn… you had your first kiss when you were just 9 years old?"

"There came a gentle wind, gently carrying away the falling cherry blossoms. Then I felt heat… I found out that it was fire… fire that arose from passionate love. It cloaked us both, like a protective flame. The kiss ended, the fire died down. We sat down again, this time, I was leaning on him and his arm is around me. Then he said that we should run away and leave the life of imprisonment in a dojo. I agreed. After that experience, I feel like agreeing to anything that he will ask me to do."

"So you both ran away. Where did you go?"

"We went everywhere. We both love adventure. We went wherever both of us may wish. We did that for 3 years."

"So how did you become separated?"

"Kaze'aze… the damn witch ended his life and took him away from me… at least I think so…"

"How? What happened?"

"It was pretty stupid of us, actually. We attempted to kill her, or at least weaken her so that the other soldiers could inflict more damage afterwards. It was a tough fight, and we ended up losing. She defeated me easily, for I was only 12 years old at that time. She gave an attack that threw me towards the rubble. She thought that I was dead. But I was not. I could still see Mamoru fight Kaze'aze, though I was barely conscious. He gave lots of strong attacks. If only I fought with him, he could've been stronger. But I can't. I can't move because of the impact when I landed on the rubble. Then, he suddenly collapsed to the ground. Kaze'aze then summoned a giant fireball that grew bigger and bigger as it neared him. I saw him turn his head towards where I was and gave a weak smile. I don't know how to interpret it. A sign of goodbye or a promise that he will come back, I don't know. Then the fireball hit him. I cried and that was the last thing I saw before I totally lost consciousness."

Natsumi couldn't take it any longer so she broke down into tears. She then felt someone hug her.

"It must've been very hard for you, losing the one whom you love the most." Lire's voice whispered into Natsumi's ear.

The rest of the girls, with the exception of Elesis, went near and hugged Natsumi. They were all teary-eyed.

"Sir Sieghart… how did… they hear… my story?" Natsumi asked.

"Well, the music died down after you related how your childhood became torture. The others noticed you almost alone and went near. But someone heard you telling a story so that someone shushed the others all out then crept sat in front of you. They heard the part where you were telling me how you met Mamoru up to the last part." Sieghart replied.

"How come I didn't notice them? And to think that I was one of the elite ninjas…"

"You bowed your head throughout the whole story so you won't notice anything at all."

"Sorry for asking but, what happened after you lost consciousness?" Jin asked.

"Jinny! You're so insensitive! Can't you see that Natsumi is crying right now?" Amy scolded.

"Don't be angry with him, Miss Amy." Natsumi said in a hushed tone.

"Amy, please. No Miss. We are all Grand Chasers therefore we are equal with each other." Amy said.

"A few hours after I lost consciousness, I woke up. I'm still in the ruined building, lying down on the rubble. But it's funny because I felt… okay… I stood up and I didn't feel any pain, on the physical area, that is. I looked at my arms and found out that my wounds and bruises are all gone. Then that's when I found out how. I saw a faint aura in the color of fire on my body. I knew that it was the healing fire. But as far as I can remember, I did not activate the healing fire." Natsumi continued.

"Remember the part where you said that Mamoru looked at you and smiled before he got hit by the fireball?" Ronan asked.

"Yes." Natsumi replied. "I would never forget it. It was the last smile he gave me before he was… gone…"

"You said that you couldn't interpret it, right? Well I have an interpretation for that. He loves you so much that he spent the last bit of his energy to save you. He knows that you are still alive there in the rubble so he tried to heal you so that you could surely live on. He gave up his own life so that another may live. That's how he loves you. And maybe that's what I would do too if Elesis is in a situation like that." Ronan replied.

Natsumi cried. This was all too much for her to bear.

"Ronan! You made her cry even more!" Arme said angrily.

"No Arme… I… I finally realized what that smile means… thank you, Ronan, for making me realize that…" Natsumi said somehow happily while still crying.

"Wow, Ronan, I didn't know you could interpret facial expressions well." Lass said sarcastically.

"Maybe it's best if you don't finish the story. It might make you discouraged to fight." Sieghart said.

"No, Sir Sieghart. Remembering the story makes me more fired up. It makes me more determined to fight." Natsumi replied.

"Well then, on with the show."

"I got out of the ruins. Sure, I was well on the physical trait but my emotional side is in disarray. That's when I started to be a wanderer. I walked the world alone. I made a living by doing some 'jobs' like collecting some weird stuff, killing a number of this, and etc. In return, the people gave me money or lodging, or sometimes both."

"How'd ya know 'bout the Queen's announcement?" Ryan finally spoke after being quiet for quite a long time.

"I was in Kanavan at that time. I went to the town square to buy myself a little snack from one of the stalls. That's when I heard the announcement. So I travelled far and wide just to get to Serdin. And that's how I ended up here, with you guys." Natsumi replied.

"Now we know how you got to this point, we want to know about the 'why' part. Why did you join the Chase?" Sieghart asked.

"The answer to that? It's purely REVENGE… evil took the life of my love, now I will take the life away from them, and more…" Natsumi replied coldly.

Natsumi then burst into an angry flame. Surprisingly, the bed she was sitting on wasn't destroyed by the flame. But it was so damn bright that the sight could almost blind you. Arme took courage and cast a spell on Natsumi.

"BLIZZARD!"

The ice engulfed the fire. Soon, vapors started to appear. The fire and ice are now both gone. Natsumi sat there at the bed and then, fainted.

"All right, party's over, folks. Let's go to sleep now." Lass said.

Lass stood up and went out of the girls' room while the others rushed to Natsumi.

"Let's take her to her room. Where is her assigned room, anyway?" Sieghart asked.

"Her designated quadrant is beside yours." Mari replied.

So Sieghart carried Natsumi to her room. The others stayed behind. Once inside Natsumi's room, Sieghart put her down the bed. Then, he took a piece of cloth, wetted it with cool water, and placed it Natsumi's forehead, as if she has fever. Sieghart sat down on the chair beside Natsumi's bed. He then absent-mindedly stroked Natsumi's hair. Arme then came in the room and saw what Sieghart is doing.

"Uhm, Sir Sieghart? May I ask a question?" Arme said as she closed the door.

"Uh yeah, sure." Sieghart replied as he still stroked Natsumi's hair.

"May I ask why do you seem to care for Natsumi so much? I mean, look. You're treating her like she's your daughter or something."

"I told her earlier that since she is a member of the Chase, she should consider me as someone more than a stranger. I told her to consider me as her grandfather."

"And how does it connect with what you're doing?"

"Maybe it's in my instinct to take care of people who are weak, especially children. I became a parent once, you know, though I may not seem like one. And she told in her story earlier that her parents died without her seeing or knowing them even once. She needs a parent with her now."

"I see… I understand…"

And with that, Arme went out of the room with her queries sated. A few more minutes had passed and Sieghart himself went out of the room.

"Though I may not seem like the kind of parent for you, if you feel that if you need one, just confide in me." Sieghart whispered to Natsumi before leaving.

- END OF STORY -


End file.
